Esdras 4

1 Lènmi moun Jida yo ak lènmi moun Benjamen yo vin konnen moun ki te tounen soti nan kote yo te depòte yo a t'ap rebati yon kay pou Seyè a, Bondye pèp Izrayèl la.

And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to YHWH, God of Israel,

2 Yo vin jwenn Zowobabèl ak chèf fanmi yo, yo di yo konsa: -Kite nou mete men ansanm ak nou nan travay pou rebati tanp lan, paske nou menm tou se menm Bondye a nou adore ak nou. Epi, depi lè Esaradon, wa peyi Lasiri a, te fè nou vin rete isit la, n'ap ofri bèt pou yo touye pou li.

and they draw near to Zerubbabel, and to heads of the fathers, and say to them, “Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up here.”

3 Zowobabèl, Jozye ak tout lòt chèf fanmi yo reponn yo: -Non mèsi! Nou pa bezwen konkou pesonn pou nou bati yon tanp pou Seyè a, Bondye nou an. N'a bati l' nou menm, pou kont nou ak men nou, jan Siris, wa peyi Pès la, te ban nou lòd fè a.

And Zerubbabel says to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, “Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together build to YHWH God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”

4 Lè sa a, moun ki t'ap viv depi lontan nan peyi a soti pou yo dekouraje moun Jida yo. Yo t'ap kraponnen yo pou yo te sispann travay batisman an.

And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

5 Yo menm rive bay kèk anplwaye gouvènman an lajan anba chal pou anpeche travay la mache. Se konsa, pandan tout tan wa Siris t'ap gouvènen an jouk sou rèy wa Dariyis, yo antrave travay moun yo san rete.

and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 Konsa tou, lè wa Zèsès te fenk pran pouvwa a, yo ekri yon lèt akizasyon voye bay wa a kont moun k'ap viv nan peyi Jida ak nan lavil Jerizalèm.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;

7 Sou rèy wa Atagzèsès, Bislam, Mitridat ak Tabeyèl mete tèt yo ansanm avèk kèk lòt kòlèg yo, yo ekri yon lèt plent voye bay Atagzesès, wa peyi Pès la, kont moun Jerizalèm yo. Lèt la te ekri nan lang arameyen, e se pou yo te tradwi l' lè yo t'ap li l'.

and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

8 (Dokiman arameyen an konmanse isit la). Se konsa Reyoum, gouvènè a, ak Chimchayi, ki te sekretè pwovens la, ekri yon lèt bay wa Atagzèsès sou keksyon lavil Jerizalèm lan. Men ki jan lèt te pati:

Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

9 Se mwen menm, Reyoum, gouvènè a ak Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ki ekri lèt sa a ansanm ak tout lòt kòlèg nou yo anplwaye gouvenman an, moun lavil Den, moun lavil Afasatak, moun lavil Tapèl, moun lavil Afaras, moun lavil Erèk, moun lavil Babilòn, moun lavil Souz, moun lavil Deya ak moun peyi Elam,

Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),

10 avèk chèf tout lòt pèp k'ap viv koulye a nan lavil peyi Samari yo ak nan rès pwovens ki bò solèy kouche larivyè Lefrat la. Se gran wa Asnapa, wa ki te fè tout moun respekte l' la, ki te depòte yo al fè yo viv kote yo ye koulye a.

and the rest of the nations that the great and honorable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:

11 Men kopi lèt yo te voye bay wa a. -Pou wa Atagzèsès. Se nou menm sèvitè ou yo, moun pwovens lòt bò larivyè Lefrat la, k'ap voye di ou bonjou.

This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;

12 Nou vle fè wa a konnen jwif yo soti nan tout teritwa ki sou lòd li yo, yo vini lavil Jerizalèm, epi y'ap rebati lavil sa a ki pa janm vle soumèt devan li epi ki toujou ap fè bagay ki mal. Y'ap travay pou rebati gwo miray ranpa lavil la, yo gen tan fini ak fondasyon an.

be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from you to us, have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.

13 Nou vle fè wa a konnen, si moun sa yo rebati lavil la, si yo remoute miray ranpa a ankò, yo p'ap peye okenn taks, yo p'ap fè okenn kontribisyon, ni yo p'ap bay lajan yo fè moun peye pou pase lakay yo. Lè sa a se kès wa a menm ki pral fè defisi.

Now let it be known to the king, that if this city is built and the walls finished, that they do not give toll, tribute, and custom; and at length it causes loss [to] the kings.

14 Men, paske nou respekte kontra nou gen avè ou la, monwa, nou pa ka rete konsa ap gade moun yo ap kraze enterè wa a. Se poutèt sa nou voye fè wa a konn sa,

Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and we have no patience to see the nakedness of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;

15 pou l' ka fè rechèch nan achiv zansèt li yo te kite. Nan ansyen dokiman sa yo, l'a jwenn sa yo te ekri sou lavil sa a. L'a konnen jan lavil sa a pa te janm vle soumèt devan yo, li te toujou pare pou revòlte. Se poutèt sa yo te detwi lavil sa a nèt.

so that he seeks in the scroll of the records of your fathers, and you find in the scroll of the records, and know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore this city has been ruined.

16 Nou fè wa a konnen si yo rebati lavil sa a, si yo refè miray ranpa li yo, talè konsa wa a p'ap gen yon teritwa pou li ankò nan pwovens bò solèy kouche larivyè Lefrat la.

We are making known to the king that, if this city be built and the walls finished, by this means you have no portion beyond the river.”

17 Men repons wa a voye ba yo: -Nou voye gwo bonjou pou Reyoum, gouvènè a, Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ak tout lòt kòlèg yo k'ap viv nan peyi Samari ak nan rès pwovens lòt bò larivyè Lefrat.

The king has sent an answer to Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, “Peace, and at such a time:

18 Lèt nou te voye ban mwen an rive jwenn mwen. Yo tradwi l' mo pa mo pou mwen.

The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,

19 Mwen pase lòd pou yo fè rechèch nan achiv yo, epi yo jwenn lavil sa a, depi tout tan, te toujou derefize soumèt devan otorite wa yo. Se tout tan gen moun la k'ap revòlte, k'ap pran lèzam kont wa yo.

and by me a decree has been made, and they sought, and have found that this city is lifting up itself against kings from the days of old, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,

20 Te gen gwo wa ki te konn gouvènen lavil Jerizalèm. Yon lè, yo te donminen sou tout teritwa ki lòt bò larivyè Lefrat la. Yo te konn fè moun peye yo taks, lajan kontribisyon ak lajan pou pèmèt yo pase sou chemen lakay yo.

and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.

21 Se poutèt sa, nou mèt bay lòd pou yo rete travay mesye yo ap fè a: Pesonn p'ap gen dwa rebati lavil sa a toutotan mwen pa bay lòd pou sa.

Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.

22 Piga nou pote neglijans nan zafè sa a, pou kès wa a pa fè plis defisi pase sa.

And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”

23 Fini yo fini li lèt wa Atagzèsès la bay Reyoum, gouvènè a, Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ak lòt kòlèg yo nan gouvènman an, mesye yo leve, yo kouri lavil Jerizalèm al jwenn jwif yo, avèk zam nan men yo, yo fòse yo sispann travay la.

Then from the time that a copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;

24 Se konsa yo te rete travay tanp Bondye a lavil Jerizalèm. Travay la rete bloke jouk dezyèm lanne rèy Dariyis, wa peyi Pès la.

then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.